C'mon Feel the Noise

Tucked inside the cab of a truck, windows closed, stereo blasting, Bluetooth plugged in one ear, keeping an eye on the traffic ahead, it’s a cozy little self-contained world. Too often blaring sirens fail to break through all of that. So some law enforcement, fire and emergency forces have added a new sensation to their “get out of the way” warnings.

By adding a low frequency tone that matches the siren, a rumble is produced. Drivers who don’t hear the siren’s wail or see its bright flashing light can feel it coming. “Drivers may feel a slight vibration, or they may see their rear view mirror shimmy,” says Tom Morgan, vice president of sales and marketing for Federal Signal, which makes the Rumbler siren. “It’s not an intense shaking, but it’s enough to make them pay attention.”

While used primarily in urban areas with heavy traffic flow, the Rumbler is also effective on the open road. And size of vehicle is not an issue. Testing shows that big rig drivers can feel the vibrations from the siren too.